


Rufus Knows

by Writingwife83



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Beekeeping, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Humor, Romance, country cottage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-12-09 09:47:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20992787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writingwife83/pseuds/Writingwife83
Summary: A cottage in the country, a sweet and old fashioned elderly woman, and a perceptive dog. When you put them all together, it means a bit of fake dating for Sherlock and Molly. In this case, it’s at Molly’s request.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was a little one shot that somehow became a small multi-chapter due to the response. I am FINALLY getting it posted on here!

“So you’re really good at acting.”

Sherlock frowned, turning to face Molly where she stood a ways down the table in the lab.

“If this is some sort of unusual compliment exercise…you’re good at digging around inside dead bodies.”

“Uh, no no, it’s not that,” she replied with a somewhat nervous laugh. “I was um, wondering if you’d do me a favor- rather big favor actually- and pretend to be my…boyfriend.”

He tilted his head ever so slightly, narrowing his eyes at that unexpected request.

“It’s just- well, I know you can be so convincing,” Molly continued explaining rapidly. “I mean that whole, y’know, phone call thing alone makes me think you could fool just about anyone.”

“Mm, that,” he acknowledged quietly.

His being impressively convincing likely had a lot to do with the fact that he meant those three little words with every piece of his body and soul and that as he spoke them he could barely see clearly due to the hearts that were bursting from his eyes while he stared at her on the screen. He’d employed far more acting ability after the fact, when he kindly explained to her that though he cared for her deeply as one of his closest friends, he simply had to be especially convincing for the sake of her safety.

“And you want me to do this…why?” he questioned, hoping not to dwell tooo much on the recent past for fear his ears turn too red.

“Well the thing is that there’s this summer home in the country, and a dog, and this sweet older woman who-“ She stopped and laughed at her completely inadequate explanation. “I should probably start from the beginning. That is…if you think you’re even interested in helping?”

_Bad idea, that_. Strange though, that exactly as he had that thought, he looked into her big brown eyes full of hesitant anticipation and his lips parted and he quite clearly heard himself say…

“I’ll need all the details of course, so perhaps this would be a good time to take a break.” He stepped away from the lab table. “Coffee?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to go see the cottage!

“It doesn’t make sense to me,” Sherlock scoffed.

“Well, yeah. But she’s understandably a bit old fashioned. And besides, maybe she’s right. Taking that home on may not be the easiest thing for one person to do alone.”

Sherlock turned to look at her in the back of the cab, brow raised.

“And yet, that’s what you’d like to do.”

“I feel confident it’s not too much for me,” Molly stated firmly. “This is exactly the kind of home and life I’d really like and I can’t just pass up the opportunity. I’m just glad Meena happens to live in the same area and knows this woman so she could put a good word in.”

“And you’re not afraid she’s going to come after you later if she finds out you’re happily living there all by yourself?” Sherlock asked with a smirk.

Molly shrugged. “She can’t very well show up and demand her house and everything back after she finds out I’m single. People do break up all the time.”

Sherlock fell silent though, staring out the window as the cab slowed.

“Is that it?” he asked softly.

“It is,” Molly replied. “Isn’t it just-“

“Perfect.”

Their eyes met again and Molly smiled first, then she drew a breath of courage.

“Ok…let’s do this.”

————-

“You’re lovely to stop by for a visit,” the elderly woman said as she invited them in. “Meena has such nice things to say about you both.”

Sherlock had to contain an eye roll. He and Meena didn’t know each other barely at all. Their only connection was Molly, and surely that didn’t always paint him in such a pretty light.

“We were just so thrilled to hear of this amazing opportunity,” Sherlock gushed, reaching down and finding Molly’s fingers to thread with his. _Interesting feeling_…

“It just doesn’t feel right somehow, to sell to strangers,” the woman explained as they settled into her sitting room, her chocolate lab sticking close by. “I couldn’t do it. I spent a lifetime here in this home! Marriage, children, retirement, caring for my husband before his death…I don’t want to give it to just anyone. And my boys have lives and families abroad. It would be a burden to make them take on the house. And then they’d surely sell it anyway.”

“I’m absolutely in love with the home and land, it’s exactly where I always hoped to be,” Molly said warmly, then looked at the dog by the woman’s feet. “And we absolutely love dogs!”

“Poor Rufus,” the woman said, reaching down slowly to scratch his head. “He was a gift from my boys after my husband passed five years ago. He’s been lovely company but I can’t take him with me. The assisted living facility doesn’t allow for pets. I truly believe it’ll be best if he can stay right here and have a fresh start with a new family.”

Sherlock reached out to the dog and Rufus immediately came over to him.

“Always wanted a dog,” Sherlock said as he scratched behind Rufus’ soft ears, though he hadn’t exactly meant to say it aloud.

“He likes you,” Molly commented, giving him a soft smile which he could tell was very far from an act.

Sherlock felt a little bump on the dog’s nose and looked back at the elderly home owner. “Is his nose ok? Seems to be a reddish bump here.”

“Oh, that!” She laughed. “Rufus hasn’t ever learned to be as cautious as he should be in parts of the back yard. He’s too rambunctious and sometimes he pays the price!”

“In the back yard?” Molly asked. “Why? What’s back there?”

“Oh didn’t Meena mention that part to you?” She clicked her tongue. “Goodness, I wish she had. It’s probably not the house’s biggest selling point! I do hope you won’t be put off.”

Sherlock and Molly glanced at each other and then back at her in curious anticipation. She smiled gently and leaned forward a bit.

“You see…I have quite a lot of bees.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rufus is starting to catch on...

“Just keep smiling and waving,” Molly instructed cheerily.

“I feel bloody ridiculous,” Sherlock replied through grit teeth as he did what he was told.

The elderly woman returned the gesture from her cab as the engine turned on and the vehicle finally pulled away.

Sherlock let out a heavy sigh. “Do you think she’d really know if I didn’t stay?”

“She’s got neighbors,” Molly said with a shrug as they headed back in the house, Rufus in tow on his leash. “They might notice if you disappeared immediately. Besides, we both know you don’t have a case to rush back to the city for.”

“Eventually, people will notice when I’m not around,” he reminded her, petulantly refusing to acknowledge his work’s dry spell.

“Well sure. But hopefully that wouldn’t be till the place was actually mine. This is just house sitting.”

“Which is strangely trusting, by the way,” Sherlock scoffed. “How does she know we won’t clean her out while she gets set up in her new housing?”

“Clearly she doesn’t share your jaded view of the world,” Molly quipped.

“Clearly she should, seeing as she’s being deceived by a surprisingly sneaky pathologist.”

Molly stuck her tongue out while undoing Rufus leash. Once released, the dog immediately followed Sherlock into the kitchen.

“He’s really taken to you quickly.”

“I’m in the kitchen,” Sherlock retorted casually as he went for the kettle. “I’m sure he’s just hoping for some scraps.”

He couldn’t quite admit yet to the pleasant warmth and security that flooded him as this sweet animal hovered loyally around his legs.

“Well I still think he likes you,” she insisted, giving his arm a brief but warm squeeze as she passed closely by him in the kitchen.

Sherlock froze momentarily as her hand slid off his arm, gulping as he held the kettle out in mid air before finally bringing it back down to set on the stove.

This was going to be problematic.

“I was gonna take Rufus for a little walk down the back lane after some tea. Did you want to come? You don’t have to,” she called from down the hall. “Gosh, this bedroom is so sweet! And what a lovely soft bed!”

That comment prompted Sherlock to thank heavens for there being three bedrooms in the cottage. If not, he’d have needed to take the couch, which would have led to an awfully uncomfortable long weekend for his back. Molly surely would have insisted he didn’t need to…but she would have been so very wrong.

He glanced down at the big, expressive eyes staring up at him.

“Trying a bit of deduction, are you?” Sherlock muttered to the dog. “Fine…as long as you keep it to yourself.”

Rufus wagged his tail a bit, almost as if in answer, and then Sherlock cleared his throat to call back down the hallway.

“I don’t mind joining you on the walk!”

Rufus’ tail instantly picked up speed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What would a fake dating fic be without a little bed sharing?

Molly rolled over in the beautiful and cozy four post bed to glance at the little clock for about the twentieth time…it was now a quarter past two in the morning.

She flopped over on her back again with a frustrated huff. This was maddening and disappointing. Here she was, in her dream home, on her dream plot of land, even in a dreamy bed. And yet the last thing she seemed to be able to do was fall asleep.

It was just too bloody quiet! She actually missed the constant hum of the city. This was definitely something that would require some getting used to. In honest reflection, she hadn’t exactly anticipated that. She turned to look at the empty pillow beside her, wishing Toby was there in his usual spot next to her head. The bed felt far too empty and still.

Suddenly she realized that was one thing that could be remedied.

Molly hoisted herself out of the bed with a few creaks and began quietly making her way out of the room and down the hall. She needed to find Rufus.

Unfortunately, when she checked his bed in the living room, it was empty. She groaned quietly, knowing exactly where the dog must be and trying to decide how to proceed. After a moment of weighing her options, Molly began creeping upstairs.

Sure enough, as she peered in the doorway of the bedroom Sherlock was sleeping in, there was Rufus, curled up on the bed with him. His little head had already popped up of course, having effortlessly picked up on the small noises in the house.

Hoping not to wake Sherlock, Molly began trying to quietly call him to come to her. Unfortunately all it accomplished was for Rufus to get up and begin walking all over Sherlock.

“Molly?” Sherlock muttered groggily as he turned to the doorway.

“Um, sorry, I was just- I kind of wanted Rufus to come stay in my room,” she explained, instantly feeling like an idiot.

“Ah yes, you’ll be missing Toby’s nighttime company,” he replied instantly.

“Yeah,” she admitted. “Bit more than I anticipated.”

“And it’s awfully quiet for someone used to the noises of the city,” he added.

Oh, bless him and his insightful deductions.

“It is,” she confirmed, giving him a small smile.

Sherlock sat up in bed, slipping a dressing gown over his bare torso which, Molly couldn’t help but note, looked positively god-like when covered in nothing but moonlight.

“Come along, Rufus,” Sherlock prompted. “Let’s take you downstairs.”

The three of them went down to the master bedroom and Sherlock instructed Rufus to climb up on the bed, which he obediently did. What they didn’t really anticipate was that at the first sign of Sherlock taking his leave, Rufus followed.

“Oh gosh, he doesn’t even like me!” Molly moaned. “What am I even doing here?!”

Molly was beginning to experience the inescapable phenomenon that when unable to sleep in the middle of the night, every life decision and circumstance becomes disturbingly bleak.

Sherlock tried again, coaxing Rufus onto the bed and then slowly going for the door. But to no avail.

“He likes you,” Sherlock assured her as the dog stayed by his side. “Just…perhaps _marginally_less than me.”

She snorted out a laugh in the darkness before leaning back against her pillow with a resigned sigh. “It’s fine, just forget it. Thanks for trying anyway.”

There was a moment of silence…and then she felt the bed jostle slightly as Sherlock climbed in and Rufus settled in between them.

“Sh-sherlock, no it’s ok, you don’t have to-“

She felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Relax, Molly, go to sleep. We’ll both stay here for tonight,” he insisted softly.

Hesitantly at first, Molly laid her head back, enjoying the weight of the sweet dog against her side and the gentle rhythmic breathing of the man she-

Well anyway, she was finally feeling relaxed. In fact, it wasn’t more than a few minutes before her mind began to cloud over in that comforting darkness of approaching sleep with her heart still warmed from Sherlock’s kind gesture.

Molly had to admit that her dream home had never felt quite as perfect as it did in that peaceful moment.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrapping it up with a sweet and fluffy ending :)

“Accidentally?” John questioned.

Sherlock nodded once in confirmation. “Precisely.”

John shook his head, pursing his lips in silence for a minute.

“Nope. Don’t buy it. You don’t accidentally kiss someone.”

Sherlock huffed and rolled his eyes. “You absolutely can! That’s what happened!”

“You really expect me to believe that you went to kiss her goodnight on the cheek and you miscalculated?!” He let out a laugh. “Doesn’t sound like you!”

“I’m not completely infallible, John! I do miss things!”

“Like the fact that her cheek isn’t located directly above her chin and below her nose?!”

Sherlock sighed dramatically as he took a freshly changed Rosie and sat down on the floor with her. “The dog was shoving at her legs and she moved a bit, it was dark in the hallway, she’d insisted I join her in a glass of wine earlier…what can I say? My senses were a bit muddled.”

Rosie stood with his assistance and instantly reached for his hair.

“The point of this story though,” Sherlock continued with a wince. “Is that the whole thing got me thinking. Not just about the kiss. Really…all of it. I might need to tell her that I actually have certain…feelings.”

John’s brows shot up. “Really? Just like that, eh? Once accidental kiss and you’re head over heels?” He chuckled. “Funny that that’s what did it. I mean, all those years working together and even with that love confession, albeit under duress, and yet this is what finally tipped the scales.”

Sherlock’s gaze shifted, as he became noticeably silent.

John peered at him. “Wait, are you saying these feelings just started or…?”

More pointed silence.

“My God,” John muttered. “Ok so now I’ve only got one question.”

“What’s that?”

John bend down to pick up Rosie before smiling at his friend. “What are you still doing here, mate?

Sherlock practically jumped out of the cab before it came to a complete stop, rushing up to the front door where he could hear Molly just finishing up a phone conversation. He knocked gently, letting himself in the screen door as Rufus excitedly greeted him and Molly gave him a quick wave while still pacing and talking.

“Yes, thanks so much…ok, great. Sounds good, see you then. Ok talk to you soon!” Molly set her phone down and smiled at Sherlock with just a hint of awkwardness. “Hi. So my realtor is going to get things finalized. The homeowner is nicely settled into assisted living and she accepted the offer so-“

“I think you should know that I want this.”

Molly stopped for a moment, staring at him with a slight frown. “Y-you want…what? The house?”

“Yes.” He halted, giving his head a quick shake. “Well, partly.”

She let out a short laugh. “Sherlock, I’m buying the house! If you think I’m going to let you get into some sort of bidding war with me, you must be-“

“And I want the dog.”

Moll’s eyes turned into saucers. “Wait a minute! You want the house and the dog now?!” She glanced at Rufus who was standing next to Sherlock’s legs and wagging his tail. “That’s not even fair because he probably wants to go with you!”

Sherlock took a few quick steps forward till he was toe to toe with her, gathering up her hands in his to hold them firmly against his chest.

“And you.”

She stared up at him, gulping quickly before finally opening her mouth again.

“Me,” she repeated in a little whisper.

Sherlock nodded, holding her gaze. “The house, the dog, the bee hives, the whole life…but mostly you.” He smirked. “If you’re not included that might be a deal breaker.”

Molly laughed unsteadily as her fingers wriggled in his grasp to link with his. But then her expression turned a bit more serious. “Did you lie?”

He frowned. “No of course not. I’m being completely honest.”

She licked her lips. “No, I mean before…about Sherrinford.”

It was Sherlock’s turn to gulp audibly.

“I did,” he admitted softly. “I lied…when I said I didn’t mean it.”

Molly nodded slowly, eyes roving his contrite expression.

“I see. Well…that’s something we’ll have to talk more about I guess.”

“And…” Sherlock prompted, eager for a more definitive go ahead. He’d kissed her once by accident and he was itching to have another go, this time with more definite purpose.

She smiled playfully. “I’m still buying the house. And Rufus comes with the house, so technically he’ll be mine too. The hives are on the property, so they’re also mine. You’d have to get through me for any of those things.” Her hands left his so her arms could slip around his middle.

Sherlock began to smile. “I’d very much like to do that,” he murmured.

“If we start this,” Molly said, her expression turning serious again. “That’s it. We can’t go back. You and I will never be like we were before.”

“We may have already begun to cross that bridge, Molly,” he quipped with a little glance down at their arms wrapped around each other.

She blushed a little, tightening her own grasp. “Yeah, you might be right. So…may as well keep moving forward then.” Her gaze shifted to his lips.

This was it, the moment he’d been longing for since two days before when their mouths had had their first awkward and all too brief meeting. It would be different this time, oh so different, he thought as he began leaning down. And then…

Panting.

Sherlock and Molly both paused, turning and glancing down to the fuzzy face that looked up at them. Rufus sat beside their feet with eyes trained to both of them, mouth open and tongue hanging slightly out as he stared. They looked from the dog back at each other, cracking a smile.

“Maybe we shouldn’t- I mean, aren’t animals sometimes uncomfortable when people get close and…” Molly said hesitantly.

Sherlock looked down at the dog again, smiling. “Oh, I don’t know. I’d say this one is rather perceptive, and supportive if I’m reading correctly. I think he knows.”

“Knows what exactly?” Molly asked with a little laugh.

Sherlock reached up to gently graze her cheek with his fingers. “That this is how we’re supposed to be,” he replied softly.

And with those words, Molly instantly lifted herself on tip toes, lifting her arms to anchor them around his neck as she initiated the kiss Sherlock had so been wishing for. This was definitely so much better than the accidental peck on the lips they’d already shared.

Rufus observed the kiss with some interest for a few seconds before trotting happily over to his bed by the fire, giving them a bit of space as he settled in contentedly. Yes, he would miss his first owner of course. But there was something about these two that made him feels especially at peace with his life and home. Sherlock was definitely right.

Rufus did know, just as well as the couple happily snogging in the cottage entryway…this was how it was supposed to be.

**The End**


End file.
